Scott Dixon
Scott Dixon is a 2 time IndyCar champion from New Zealand. Despite being born in Brisbane, Australia, he races as a New Zealander. He drives for Chip Ganassi Racing. Before Indycar Dixon raced in the ChampCar World Series, winning a race at Nazereth 2003 In 2003 he moved with his CART team Chip Ganassi Racing to the Indycar series. He won his first IRL Indycar series race at the first attempt at Homestead. At Scott's first Indianapolis 500 he had an accident and did not finish. He won the championship in his rookie season 2004 Dixon did not have a strong title defense in 2004, and failed to win a race. His car carried the #1 characteristic of a defending champion. Perhaps because of this poor title defense, Ganassi, nor any other team, has used the #1. The exception was Michael Andretti's Indianapolis 500 attempt. His difficulties stemmed from the uncompetitive Toyota engine that the Ganassi team was using. 2005 2005 was also a difficult season for Dixon and the Ganassi team as a whole. They expanded to three cars, with Australian Ryan Briscoe partnering Dixon and Darren Manning. The three wrote off a staggering 28 cars during the season. Manning was fired from the team mid year, with Giorgio Pantano replacing him. Late in the year at Chicagoland Speedway, Briscoe was rear ended Alex Barron's car, sending Briscoe's #33 car into the fence at over 200MPH, snapping the car in half. The accident would keep him on the sidelines of the open wheel racing world for four years (aside from a Indianapolis 500 one off in 2007). Jacques Lazier, Briscoe's replacement, fared little better, infamously being punched in the face by Danica Patrick after causing an accident. Dixon scored the team's only victory at Watkins Glen, one of a few highlights in a dismal season. 2006 Following the disaster of 2005, Briscoe, Manning, Pantano, and Lazier were all fired, a fate that only Dixon avoided. Dan Wheldon, who had won the 2005 Championship for what was then called Andretti Green Racing, replaced Manning in the 10 car. The team also switched to Honda engines. He finished forth in the standings, and finished every race, in a remarkable contrast from the 2005 season. 2007 Dixon came close to winning the 2007 title. He won three consectutive races, joining Wheldon and Kenny Brack as the only driver to do so (Will Power and Ryan Hunter-Reay later achieved this). On the final lap of the final race at Chicagoland Speedway, Dixon led championship rival Dario Franchitti going into the final turn. However, Dixon ran out of fuel, giving the race win and the championship to the Scottish driver. 2008 Dixon dominated in 2008, winning the Indianapolis 500 and the series title. He won a record tieing six races that year. This was all achieved despite a large increase in competitors, as the IndyCar Series merged with Champcar before the 2008 season. 2009 Dixon got off to a disappointing start in the first two races of the 2009 season. He won five races that season. The Ganassi team changed as well. Wheldon was fired, and Dario Franchitti, returning after a one year stint in stock car racing, was his new teammate. The two Ganassi teammates competed for the championship and developed a friendly rivalry. Ryan Briscoe, who by this point had returned to full time IndyCar racing, was also in the championship hunt. In 2009, Team Penske and Ganassi racing dominated. Helio Castroneves was the only full time driver of these teams that was not competing for the championship, as he got a late start to the season while in legal problems stemming from tax evasion charges. In the final round at the Homestead Miami Speedway, Briscoe, Franchitti, and Dixon all had championship chances. While Dixon beat Briscoe, Franchitti beat both and was crowned champion 2010 After a year of change, Dixon's team remained much the same in 2010. Their archrivals at Penske added Will Power to their full time lineup. Dixon won his first race of the year at the Kansas Speedway. He went on to win at Edmonton and the season finale at Homestead on his way to a third place finish in the standings. 2011 The Ganassi team expanded in 2011, adding cars for Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball. Dixon ran up front all year, but did not win until Mid Ohio late in the season. He also won a race at Motegi as well and went into the ill-fated season finale at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a chance at the championship, racing against Power and Franchitti. A massive crash on lap 15 claimed the life of former teammate Wheldon, and injured Power, J.R. Hildebrand, and Pippa Mann. The race was not restarted, and Dixon finished third in the title race. 2012 The 2012 season was one of change with the new Dallara DW12s replacing the older IR03s. The engines were also new, and Chevrolet and Lotus entered the fray. Ganassi Racing had a difficult start to the year. However, following Franchitti's win at Indianapolis, the series went to the Belle Isle track in Detroit. Dixon had a dominating win there in a race cut short when the track itself began to literally fall apart. Dixon won again at Mid-Ohio, a track where he has had a great deal of success. He had a quick pit stop to get ahead of rival Power, and won the race. He is currently locked in a championship battle with Power, Castroneves, and Ryan Hunter Reay. Category:Chip Ganassi Racing Indycar Drivers Category:IndyCar Champions Category:Drivers from New Zealand Category:Race Winners